Ozempic, a medication containing the active ingredient semaglutide, is prescribed to adults with type 2 diabetes to help manage blood sugar in combination with a balanced diet and exercise, reduce the risk of certain heart-related problems in those who also have heart disease, and reduce the risk of worsening kidney disease and death from cardiovascular disease in those who also have chronic kidney disease (CKD). While primarily a diabetes medication, Ozempic has gained attention for its potential off-label use in weight loss. This article delves into the various factors influencing the cost of Ozempic, including insurance coverage, savings programs, and alternative options.
What is Ozempic and How Does It Work?
The active ingredient in Ozempic is semaglutide. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.) Ozempic comes as a liquid solution in a prefilled pen for injection under your skin. Semaglutide belongs to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists. These drugs mimic the effects of a natural hormone in the body, helping to lower blood sugar levels, slow down digestion, and reduce appetite.
Factors Influencing the Cost of Ozempic
Ozempic's cost per month can vary. It may depend on your treatment plan, your insurance coverage (if you have it), and the pharmacy you use. The cost of Ozempic is influenced by several factors, including:
- Insurance Coverage: Whether or not you have insurance and the specifics of your plan significantly impact the out-of-pocket cost.
- Pharmacy: Different pharmacies may have varying pricing for Ozempic.
- Dosage: The prescribed dosage can affect the cost.
- Savings Programs: Eligibility for manufacturer coupons and savings cards can lower expenses.
- Location: Prices may vary based on geographic location.
To find out how much you’ll pay for Ozempic, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.
Insurance Coverage for Ozempic
Certain insurance plans may cover Ozempic, but not all of them. The cost of Ozempic with insurance depends on various factors, including:
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- Your specific plan benefits
- Any prior authorization requirements for your plan
- Whether you qualify for a cost-savings program, such as the Ozempic savings card or the manufacturer’s diabetes savings offer program
The cost may also depend on your dosage of Ozempic and other factors, such as your copay (your share of the cost of a medication under your insurance coverage).
Medicare and Medicaid Coverage
It’s possible. To find out whether your Medicare or Medicaid plan covers the cost of Ozempic, call your plan provider. Many different types of Medicare and Medicaid plans are available, and your cost and coverage depend on your individual plan benefits. Keep in mind that your plan may have prior authorization requirements before it will cover Ozempic.Your doctor can also provide details about the cost of Ozempic with Medicare or Medicaid.
The Cost of Ozempic Without Insurance
In general, the cost of Ozempic will likely be higher without insurance. If you don’t have insurance or your plan doesn’t cover Ozempic, your out-of-pocket costs may depend on your pharmacy and any available savings programs. For example, Ozempic’s manufacturer offers the drug for $499 per month when you pay without insurance. However, it’s important to note that this offer only applies to adults with type 2 diabetes.
Savings Programs and Coupons
Yes, Ozempic has a copay card. Ozempic’s manufacturer offers an Ozempic savings card and a diabetes savings offer program to help lower your out-of-pocket cost for the drug. You can use both offers in combination with insurance that you get through an employer or pay for yourself. You cannot combine them with government-issued insurance, such as Medicaid or Medicare.
When combined with your insurance coverage, the Ozempic savings card or the diabetes savings offer program may bring your Ozempic cost down to as low as $25 per month for up to 48 months. But keep in mind that these savings offers only work if your insurance covers Ozempic.
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For more information on financial assistance to pay for Ozempic if you have Medicare, see “Does the manufacturer of Ozempic have a coupon for people who have Medicare?” in the “FAQ about price and Ozempic” section later in this article.
To save money on your Ozempic prescription, explore these coupons. (Note: Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with insurance copays or benefits.) You can also check out savings options from the drug’s manufacturer.
Brand-Name vs. Generic Medications
Ozempic only comes as a brand-name drug. It’s not currently available as a generic. A generic medication contains an exact copy of the active ingredient in a brand-name medication but tends to cost less.
Years of research and testing are needed to ensure that brand-name drugs are safe and effective. This testing can make the drugs expensive. The manufacturer of a brand-name drug can sell the drug for up to 20 years. After that, other drugmakers can offer generic versions. This competition in the market can lead to lower costs for generics. And because generics have the same ingredients as brand-name drugs, they don’t need to be studied again. This can also lead to lower generic costs.
Strategies for Saving on Ozempic Costs
There are several ways to save on the cost of Ozempic. What’s best for you may depend on any insurance coverage you have, how you purchase the medication, and other factors. Be sure to talk with your doctor about your options.
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- Check whether you’re eligible for savings cards: See the “Does Ozempic have a copay card?” section earlier in this article for details.
- Search for coupons in your area: You can search for Optum Perks coupons based on your location at the beginning of this article. You can also visit Optum Perks to get price estimates for Ozempic when you use coupons from the site. (It’s important to note that Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with insurance copays or benefits.)
- Look into getting a 90-day supply of your medication: You may be able to get a 90-day supply of Ozempic if approved by your insurance company. This could reduce your number of trips to the pharmacy and help lower the cost of Ozempic. If you’re interested in getting a 90-day supply of this drug, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.
- Check with your area pharmacies: Pharmacies in your area may have different pricing for Ozempic. If you don’t have health insurance, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They may be able to suggest online pharmacy options that could work for you.
Telemedicine Options
Some telemedicine providers include:
- Calibrate
- PlushCare
- Ro
- Sesame
Through these services, a licensed telehealth professional will give you a health evaluation and may provide an electronic prescription. (Or they might refer you to your doctor for a prescription.) You can then use this prescription to order Ozempic through the service’s site. By clicking on this link, we may receive a commission. Learn more.
Additional Resources for Financial Assistance
If you need help covering the cost of Ozempic or understanding your insurance, check out these resources:
- Ozempic savings card
- diabetes savings offer program
- NeedyMeds
- Medicine Assistance Tool
On these sites, you can find insurance information, details on drug assistance programs, and links to savings cards and other services. The telemedicine provider Ro also offers services that can help you understand your insurance coverage.
If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. You may also be eligible for a savings card that can help lower the cost of Ozempic.
Ozempic for Weight Loss: Cost Considerations
Because of this, there’s no Ozempic pricing specifically for this use. Doctors may prescribe Ozempic off-label for weight loss, though this is unlikely. (Off-label use refers to prescribing a drug to treat a condition other than what the FDA has approved it for.) It’s more likely that your doctor would prescribe Wegovy, which contains semaglutide, the same active ingredient that’s in Ozempic. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.) Wegovy is FDA approved to be prescribed for weight management.
If your doctor prescribes Ozempic for weight loss, your pricing may vary based on several factors, including your dosage and insurance coverage. Some insurance plans may not cover Ozempic if it’s used off-label. Or the insurance provider may require your doctor to contact them for prior approval before they pay for the medication.
You can consider using a telemedicine provider to purchase Ozempic for weight loss, which may affect the drug’s price. See the “How can I save money on Ozempic?” section earlier in this article for details.
If you’re interested in using a semaglutide injection for weight loss, talk with your doctor. They can help determine what the best medication is for you. Talk with your pharmacist or insurance provider if you have questions about the price of a semaglutide injection for weight loss.
Novo Nordisk Patient Assistance Program (PAP)
Ozempic’s manufacturer does not have a coupon for people with Medicare. But they do offer the Novo Nordisk Patient Assistance Program (PAP) for people with Medicare or no insurance.
The Novo Nordisk PAP covers 100% of the cost of certain drugs, including Ozempic, for individuals who qualify. They may be able to give you a better idea of what you’ll pay for this drug. But if you have health insurance, you’ll need to talk with your insurance provider to learn the actual cost you’d pay for Ozempic.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor or Insurance Provider
Examples of questions you may want to ask your doctor or insurance provider include:
- Could I get a sample pen of Ozempic if I’m waiting for insurance approval for the drug?
- Will my Ozempic starting dosage cost less than my regular dosage?
- Does my Ozempic savings card have an expiration date?
- Will my insurance pay for my Ozempic pen needles?
Accessibility Improvements and Costco Partnership
Novo Nordisk, the company that makes Ozempic and Wegovy, announced Friday it will be selling the prescription injectable pens at the warehouse chain's pharmacies. A four-week supply of the weight loss drug will cost $499 out of pocket. Costco members with a prescription will pay $499 for a one-month supply. Executive members and those with Costco Citibank credit cards also get a cash back reward as part of the chain’s prescription program.
For members who have insurance, the price will depend on their plan.
The discounted prescriptions will be available at over 600 Costco pharmacies nationwide starting Friday. Dr. Rekha Kumar, an endocrinologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and senior medical adviser at Found Health, said the drugs have been a big breakthrough in the treatment of diabetes, but they’re still out of reach for many people who are uninsured, or whose insurance won’t cover the prescriptions.
Societal Impact and Cost Considerations
A class of drugs initially approved for diabetes treatment has captured the public’s and policymakers’ attention as interest in their off-label use for weight loss rises. The weight-loss benefits of these drugs have led to their prescribed use for obesity or overweight treatment. Increased off-label use of these drugs is contributing to supply shortages for people who use these drugs for diabetes and employer health plans and insurers are scrutinizing the prescribing of the drugs.
Around 1 in 5 people with private insurance don’t have coverage for at least one brand-name GLP-1 medication prescribed for weight loss, according to GoodRX.
Dr. Harlan Krumholz, cardiologist and professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine said that he’s happy to see greater accessibility for the medications, but they won’t reach the people that need them the most if they can’t pay $499 a month. “The people who have the greatest need for these medications are precisely the people who are in lower socioeconomic strata who have either poor insurance or no insurance, and don’t have the discretionary funds to be spending on medications,” he said.
International Price Comparisons
The United States has substantially higher drug prices compared to other large, wealthy OECD nations. The U.S. ($936) is over 5 times that in Japan ($169), and about ten times more than in Sweden, the United Kingdom, Australia, and France. Wegovy is available in only a few European Union markets at this point, and not available in Australia and some other countries due to shortages for people using semaglutide for diabetes.
List prices are not necessarily net prices paid as manufacturers provide insurer rebates and patient coupons. can get Wegovy coupons of $225 per 28-day supply for up to 1 year if their plan covers Wegovy, or $500 per 28-day supply if their private health plan does not cover it. What impact these drugs have on total health costs in a country will depend not just on the net prices for the drugs, but also on how many people use them.
Medicare is not allowed to cover weight-loss drugs under current law and Medicaid coverage varies by state. Peer nations have similarly variable insurance coverage for these drugs for weight loss. Prices were not found for any of these drugs in Austria or Belgium.
Additional Information
Recent research on the drugs has shown their potential to reduce stroke risk, treat liver disease and protect heart health. The Ozempic cost with insurance may be as little as $25 if you use an Ozempic coupon from Novo Nordisk. Ozempic cost without insurance may be as low as $499 for self-paying patients, through Ozempic.com and NovoCare.com. The price you pay will depend on the pharmacy you use. Ozempic price is usually the same for all of the different strength pens. The Ozempic manufacturer’s list price is $997.58 for each pen dose; however, most people don’t pay the list price. Find out the cost for Ozempic Novocare. Novocare Diabetes Savings Offer Program.
Ozempic is also approved to lower the risk of a major cardiovascular event (like a heart attack or stroke) in patients with type 2 diabetes, as well as to reduce the risk of worsening kidney disease and heart-related death in patients with type 2 diabetes. You and your healthcare provider should discuss the risks vs. The most common Ozempic side effects with Ozempic include stomach problems, like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain and constipation. These tend to be mild-to-moderate and usually clear up in a few weeks in most people. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is also a common side effect (when used with certain other diabetes treatments) and it can be serious. Ozempic has the potential to cause certain long-term problems that may last months or years after stopping it.
Conclusion
The cost of Ozempic is a multifaceted issue influenced by insurance coverage, savings programs, pharmacy choices, and potential off-label use for weight loss. While manufacturer discounts and patient assistance programs can significantly reduce costs, access remains a challenge for many, particularly those without insurance or adequate coverage. As research continues to reveal the broader health benefits of drugs like Ozempic, addressing cost and accessibility will be crucial to ensuring equitable access to these potentially life-changing medications.